Monday, May 7, 2012

Does it work to put your book for free on Amazon? Is it a
good idea to belong to a group when your book goes free?

This is what happened to me. In March I joined the Indie
Book Collective Lucky Days Free Par-tay along with many other authors. One of
the requirements to be involved in this promotion was that I had to put my book
"My
Cheeky Angel" into the Select program on Amazon. In this way I could
manage my promotion for those exact days.

IBC is the brainchild of best-selling author Carolyn
McCray. She is brilliant at what she
does…and that is to guide the group through all the steps we needed to take in
order to have a successful par-tay. She explained these steps in a series of
Webinars where she gave us advice on our categories and covers, how to set up
our book descriptions on Amazon and the best way to present the inner workings
of our book like reviews, advertising our other work, etc. both in the front
matter and the back.

Before the par-tay in March started, My Cheeky Angel was
ranking around #240,500. Once she explained how to set my categories properly,
within a few days the book had dropped to #140,000. I was shocked, and right
then I decided I had made a good choice to be involved with this group. As the
days drew closer, her committee of hard-working, very dedicated people had all
of us busy setting up cross-promotion for the others in the par-tay and social
media blurbs for twitter and facebook, etc.

On the big day, we all came free, and the website she'd
designed came live. I watched in amazement as the downloads for my book went
crazy. It was fantastic. Then the ranking dropped and on my best day I hit #552
in the free books and was #1 in two different categories and #2 in another. I
walked around in shock for days…nothing I could do for myself would have ever
gotten me these numbers. And I knew it!

*Amazon does allow for the free downloads to affect the
ranking once your book is off the free slot, but not on a one to one basis.
It's changing all the time, and the last I'd heard (just a supposition mind
you) that every 50 free downloads would be the same a one book sold.*

Once the Par-tay ended I waited with bated breath to see
what would occur. And I'm happy to say that the book levelled off for quite
some time at around the #5,000 mark and then sadly, it began to climb back up.
The last I looked, it was approximately #53,000.

But…I'm ecstatic to say that I'm now
involved in the next par-tay which is happening in two days. Can't wait to see
what ensues with my new release "His
Devious Angel" which is the second in the Angels with Attitudes
series. The first novella of my Vicarage Bench Series, "She's
Me" will be available also.

I'll
report back on what happens as far as the numbers go…but right now She's Me is
ranking at #117,244 and Devious Angel is sitting at #82,810. If you're
interested to track it with me, you can watch each day of the par-tay and see
for yourself what a difference it'll make.

p.s. Crossed
fingers, good wishes and prayers are all gladly accepted!

Better
yet…download the book!

Xo Mimi

Announcing

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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Last week I discussed behavioural scientist Desmond Morris’
proposed steps to intimacy. There are 12 but I only ran through the first 4. This
week, we are moving along – steps 5 through 9.

Reminder - The couple I am referring to, for
simplicity’s sake, is a man and a woman. This plays out with either half of the couple
starting first. I started with the male.

Quick review

1. Eye to body – This is the moment of discovery where
one of the couple first sees the other.

2. Eye to eye – Eye contact is a very strong bond in
humans.

3. Voice to voice – When speaking to the other, both
must be in close proximity and this hints at intimacy.

4. Hand to hand/ arm – Allowing someone to touch us is
showing acceptance and trust.

New ground -

5. Arm to shoulder— hand to hand while close isn’t as
intimate as wrapping an arm around someone’s shoulder. Each person has to be
inside the other’s personal body space.

Classic example – teenager in a movie theatre – yawns, stretches
and his arm accidently falls on
girl’s shoulder. The next moment is crucial. Does she pretend to ignore it and
allow it to stay? Does she giggle and smile at him? Or does she slap it away
and throw her popcorn in his face?

Freezing this moment and letting the boy sweat it out
while the girl ponders can create a nice moment of tension.

6. Arm to waist— Very intimate step which physically draws
the couple closer.

To be able to wrap an arm around someone’s waist, the
two people must be physically very close. This in itself implies intimacy. Allowing
someone into the “zone of personal space” is an important moment.

And why specifically arm to waist? Because quite often
in this position the couple’s hips will bump or rub together. The hips are in
the pelvic region and that’s where the “action” happens. So allowing this
contact signals future intentions.

If the female is feeling overwhelmed, rushed or is
plain angry with the male, a quick pull away will clearly signal her dissatisfaction.

If the female doesn’t pull away, there is an opening to
move to step 7

7. Mouth to mouth- The first kiss is a major event in a
romance.

In a YA, this may be the first kiss for both people. The tension
of nerves and fumblings to “get it right” will predict the future success of
the couple. To go to the opposite genre, in an erotic romance, the sexual
tension created by this moment could rush the couple through to step 12 in a
matter of paragraphs.

8. Hand to head- A small gesture.

This can be portrayed as a romantic tender action or a dominating
action – where the man is attempting to claim her as his.

Switching to a movie for a moment. Think of your favourite
romantic movie. The scene where he places his hand/hands on her face/head and
pulls her closer. That is a tiny moment with big importance. I always get a
shiver when it happens. I think it is the eroticism of that gesture. So while it may seem like an insignificant
thing – it is a vital step. Linger on it. Let the reader revel in the moment.

The female’s reaction is crucial. Does she pull back from
his touch or nestle her cheek into his hand? Or does she respond by placing her
hands on him, possibly running her fingers through his hair. That would intensify
the heat of the moment to slightly short of scorching.

9. Hand to body— This gesture is the clearly raising the heat
level.

Yes, we mentioned body parts – hand to shoulder, arm to
waist, but this is a more intimate touch. Does he caress her arm? Run his
fingers up the side of her thigh.

It is also a great place to let the tension be interrupted
by an outside source. He gazes into the heroine’s eyes. He trickles his fingers
up her thigh. He leans closer to kiss her trembling lips. And the phone rings.
Her husband walks in. The aliens land.

As an author, you’ve built the tension then snapped it with
a twist. This allows you to rebuild the tension and push the couple even
closer. There could have been some hesitancy on the female’s part and pushing
the ultimate moment further away will give her time to explore her feelings
about the hero.

Next week, the final steps to creating intimacy in a romance
novel.

Was there a shiver moment in a romantic movie where
you secretly wished it was you on that screen about to be swept away with
passion? For me, it is usually that scene where the hero and heroine are facing
each other staring lovingly into each other’s eyes then he reaches out and places
his hand on her cheek. I usually sigh into my popcorn.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

A lot of you will sigh – not this topic again. But
every so often writers need to be reminded of the basics. If you write romance
in any genre then how to get your couples to fall in love is a pretty basic
element.

Behavioural Scientist – Desmond Morris proposed these
steps. In non-scientific language what he discovered was there are 12
steps/phases two people go through on the way to becoming a couple.

In this article I am going to run through stages 1 thru
3. As a writer these are not hard and
fast rules and some phases can pass quickly. How fast they “fall in love” or
“fall into bed” then depends on the author.
Meeting in a bar on page 1 and having sex by page 3 can work, if the
author generates enough heat in a short time between the characters. In other
romances, it can take 15 to 20 chapters for the characters to get to the moment
where one confesses their love for the other.

The first few phases are important. The two people (for
simplicity’s sake, I will use a man and a woman) must become aware of each
other. This plays out with either half
of the couple starting first. I started with the male.

1. Eye to body –

This is the moment of discovery where
one of the couple first sees the other.

A gentleman sits at a table glancing around a smoky
crowded bar. A woman stops to chat with friends a few feet away. The man sees
her. His gaze floats up and down her body. He’s looking for a potential
mate/lover/one night stand. He’s checking to see if she fits his standards.

If she has a
third leg growing out of her back and is covered in oozing sores, she’ll
probably be eliminated as a candidate. If she passes inspection, he is ready to
move on to phase two.

2. Eye to eye –

Eye contact is a very strong bond in
humans.

The man will try and make eye contact with his selected
target. If he catches her eye - 1 of two things will happen – she will accept
his look or reject it.

The woman sees the man is looking at her and she must,
almost instantly, make the decision to accept his look or not.

A rejection on her part could be a roll of the eyes,
toss of the head or turning her attention back to her friends. The male then
has the option of giving up or reattempting contact.

An acceptance of his look can be brazen – a staring
contest between the two or a shy peek, look away and peek again.

In our scenario, he catches her attention. She meets
his eye contact and doesn’t look away. Success – the two people are aware of
each other and have given the signal to move to the next step.

3. Voice to voice –

They need to get past a huge
barrier here. Eye contact can be made across a football field. But to hear
someone speak a person must be closer (using a bull horn doesn’t count!) and
moving close starts to hint at intimacy.

He approaches and speaks – this moment is important –
does he have the smoothest pick up line ever said or does he blow it with
“What’s a nice girl like you….”

Her reaction again can be accept or reject. If she rejects, he starts back at number 1. If
she accepts and responds to his greeting then usually there is an introduction.
The simple act of greeting and saying the other character’s name is very
intimate. Our name defines us and allowing someone to use greet us by our name
forms a subtle bond.

This is a prime opportunity to let the character’s
personality shine through – good or bad. While the characters are “testing the
waters”, the reader can discover personality quirks.

4. Hand to hand/ arm –

Allowing someone to touch us is
showing acceptance and trust.

This first touch can easily be hurried by having one of
the partners trip into the other or be pushed etc. If the male is pushed forward and falls
towards the female, she can catch him and help him stand. But if she rejects
the contact, she can shove him away from her.
Or let him hit the floor.

If she or he is allowed to rest a hand on the other’s
arm, it displays to onlookers that these 2 people are becoming a couple. They
are starting to mark their territory.

Each step does not have to be marked out nor take a
chapter to evolve. A man and woman at a party. A third person introduces them.
In a moment they go from eye to body, eye to eye, hand to hand and voice to
voice. They stand facing each other as
they are introduced. This is eye to body and eye to eye. They shake hands (hand
to hand) possibly lingering at this moment while they greet and say each
other’s name (voice to voice). Boom – in 90 seconds they are through 4 steps.

Tiny moments in a story that can help drive the romance
forward. Next week, I’ll discuss the
next steps in building intimacy in your romance novel.

Is there a first meeting moment in your life
that’s not too embarrassing to share?

I really didn’t get a chance to go through steps 1 to 4
with my husband. We met in a judo class. It was during warm ups. A person went
around the group and “threw” each person based on the command from the
teacher. Simple put downs for newbies.
Future husband walked up, grabbed my shirt and I hit the mat. And to this day
when people ask how we met I say – are you ready for it – you know it’s coming
– I fell for him.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

3 words - Suspension of disbelief. With a little help from the font of knowledge -Wikipedia – Suspension of disbelief - a formula for justifying the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literary works of fiction. Although I don't quite understand why they are just using literary works in their definition. TV and movies have us suspending our disbelief a lot more. (Have you watched the movie Inception?)

How many of you have sat through a "Tarzan" movie and never wondered why the hero is clean-shaven, decently groomed hair and smells remarkably unlike a barnyard? And the heroine has 14 changes of clothes from a tiny suitcase that broke open then washed up on shore. As the viewer, you may have scoffed at it; even leaned over to the person next to you and commented on it. But did it destroy you pleasure in viewing the movie? Probably not.

In writing, the obvious suspension of disbelief (SOD) would occur in paranormal books. Vampires, werewolves etc mingling with present day humans, owning cell phones and driving cars. Or in sci-fi books where aliens transport to Earth and live unseen among us.

But I'm talking about SOD in contemporary books. Any contemporary book has the disadvantage of the critiquer, editor or reader all living in the same era and potentially experiencing the same things. Therefore, they put their opinions on their SOD.

To cite a bizarre example. Say the book you are reading is an action war drama. The hero and his platoon are caught in a vicious firefight. The soldiers are pinned down and are being wounded or killed every few moments. Their bullets seem to miss their targets but the enemy's fire is getting through. You are willing to believe the disconnect of the gunfire as the writer has gripped your attention with the sounds and smells of the scene. Then the enemy suddenly stands up and starts singing and dancing the latest routine from Glee.

You might keep reading. Overwhelming curiosity might prod you into seeing if the writer can pull such a scene flip off or you might toss the book aside and go for a long walk. Why? From general knowledge, the enemy doesn't usually dance during battle. I studied history and I don't recollect my professors ever mentioning this. So your perception of life affected your suspension of disbelief. Maybe there is some Amazonian tribe that does this – to confuse the enemy. And if you had heard about that tribe then you might read the scene without a second thought.

What is this leading to? When editing or critiquing someone's one work be aware of your bias. Before you highlight a section and comment – Why did the character do this? or This is too out of character for this person? – think about why the author might have chosen their character to do this? Remember you are reading with a tight focus and a problem presented does not have to be explained immediately. Let the writer and the characters get to it.

A few years ago, I had a small scene in a chapter ripped apart by a critique partner. She went on for half a page as to why the scene was wrong and why the character wouldn't do "it". Yet, I wrote the scene from true life. Then, as it happened, it was as irritating and confusing as it turned out in the book. When I thanked the critique partner for her efforts, I politely commented that the scene that so riled her was an actual event. She refused to believe me and said that it ruined the story for her.

Sadly being an inexperienced writer, I modified the scene, even though 4 other critiquers had no problem with the section. But that suggests a later post of "sticking to your guns."

Critiquing or editing is a hard task. But we must do it without letting our personal bias cloud our efforts.

Is there a moment when you just couldn't take a book, movie or TV show anymore? Your suspension of disbelief was shot. Mine was the movie Centerstage. I have some experience as a dancer and in the movie, a ballerina with no jazz dance training takes her first jazz dance class. When they get to the choreography part of class, she watches the males do their section of the routine, then she scurries to the front of the group and leads them in a routine she has never seen before. I almost threw my popcorn at the screen.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Chapter One
Five years - Julie hadn't seen or thought about him in all that time, and now in the middle of nowhere, he stood on the beach drying off from a swim. Droplets flew as Robert shook his hair. His black mane was shorter than the last time she saw him. The wet ends dripped water on his bare, muscular shoulders. Tricia, an old high school friend once said he had the body of a male stripper - time hadn't changed that.
Julie stepped back onto the beach path, transfixed by the sight of the one person she hated. Her repulsion and loathing of him ran so deep; she'd repressed all memories of him. She thought he'd loved her, and had taken a chance, opening up her heart and body to him. But instead of returning her love, he proved himself worthy of the gutter from which he'd crawled.
Her body said run, but her feet refused to move as she watched a long-legged, svelte, golden blonde rise from the beach chair. She trickled her fingers down his rippled stomach. His voice floated across the sand. It was a calming sound, which had brought a smile to Julie's face when he whispered words of love and passion.
Details she thought she'd long forgotten surged forward. She remembered the way his dark eyes smoldered with anger and his sly, innocent grin. His joyous laughter had made her feel the abandonment of a child frolicking in the year's first snowfall. She stepped backward onto the path, distancing herself from the lovers as the blonde undid the strings on her bathing suit top, and let it fall to the sand.
With an unexpected shiver, Julie hurried along the meandering path, and returned to the cottage, and to the man she accompanied - who was nothing like her betrayer. Vincent's sad brown eyes reminded her of a basset hound's - loyal and true.
"Julie." She looked toward Vincent standing on the deck. "Jean-Marc's on the phone. Shall I take a message?"
"No, I won't make him suffer. He has very few hairs left to pull out of his head." She took the cell phone and sat on a deck chair. "Hello, Jean-Marc."
"How's the knee?" he asked. As always, Jean-Marc, Artistic Director, was direct to the point.
"Better."
"Have you been following your doctor's orders?"
"Yes, all I've done is sit on the deck, stare at the ocean and get fat. We leave this afternoon, and if the doctor says everything's okay, I'll be back on Tuesday. Sound good?"
"Great. Bye."
She placed the cell phone on the table, and the other slid down to her knee. Two weeks ago, it was grotesque and painful. During a simple rehearsal, Julie posed in an elegant arabesque held tall on her pointe. Her leg was lifted high above her head, back arched, and her arms suspended in the air, as if frozen in time. Until she collapsed on the floor.
At first, only her dignity was hurt. Then the pain shot from her knee to her brain. The doctor said she was lucky there was no serious damage He urged her to take a vacation to let the knee mend.
Julie gazed out at the ocean listening to the waves splash against the shore. Had it really been that long ago? Five years since she'd left her friends, her family and the longhaired, scruffy guy who snuck his way into her heart. Notorious gang member or not, he still portrayed a sense of vulnerability and innocence. Then in true gang style, he stabbed her heart - figuratively. She shook her head. "No, don't think of him."
"Hmm?" Vincent peered over the top of his Financial Post.
"Nothing, just mumbling to myself. I can't get over this view." Julie waved a hand toward the ocean and inhaled the headiness of the salty air, sighing in contentment.
Now, it was time to get back to the harsh realities of daily class, rehearsals and performances. She was a dancer, and that's what she must do – not lie on the beach making love. She slapped the wooden arms of the deck chair, stood and followed Vincent into what he called a rustic little thing tucked among the trees.
"Which would you prefer?" He held out two plates. On each was a light meal of vegetables, a creamy dip, fruit wedges and low-fat cheese. Julie carried hers to the dining room where she found a pitcher of ice tea and a tray of crackers.
"Rustic little cottage. The dining room seats eight. It has five bedrooms, four baths, and you could roast a pig in the fireplace." Her gaze settled on the expanse of sand and seawater that stretching to the horizon. "But you could begin to believe you're the only person alive. So different from my life at home - people at rehearsal and hundreds of people in the audience. It was nice to be alone, just you and I. If only for a little while." She turned to face Vincent. "Hello? Humph, I make a great impassioned speech about my place in the universe, and I'm talking to myself."
"Pardon?" Vincent entered the room and sat at the far head of the table. "I'm sorry I didn't realize you were speaking to me. Please, continue." He folded his hands.
Julie dipped a broccoli bud into the dressing. "Short version, it's been a great week."
Vincent nodded. "It'll be great to get back to work."
"You never left work." She raised her broccoli and shook it at him. "If you weren't texting someone, you were calling them."
"I can't be expected to be away from work for a whole week. I'm the boss." Vincent straightened his linen napkin. "But I did this for you. And look at you - all tanned and healed. I've a notion you're biting at the chance to get back to work."
Julie munched a carrot stick and stared out the window.
With the last bit of lunch consumed, Vincent carried the remains of the meal to the kitchen. Julie wandered back to her deck chair, and let the warmth of the sun relax her soul. Immobile, she listened to the clatter of Vincent as he cleaned the few dishes they had dirtied.
Bartholomew, Vincent's personal assistant/body guard, had been sent back to open the estate, and now Vincent's compulsion for neatness forced him to assume butler duties. "Robert wouldn't have done that." Julie lurched up clamping her hand over her mouth.

to continue the free read - click on link under the banner.

to purchase - click on link at right of blog - Circles interlocked is only available on KDP.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Yesterday, Circles Interlocked went up on KDP. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005S8LI46
For a lot of reasons and from reading pros and cons from other writer's experiences, I decided this was the best place to put my book.
If anybody has a moment to go "Like" it please do so.
Also to celebrate - Circles Interlocked is free for today – April 12.

Once lovers, a ballerina and a former gang member reconnect but must still face the lie that broke them apart.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

When I was in first year university I took a Kinesiology course and with professor who'd been nicknamed Basic Bob. Why you ask? Because basically Basic Bob could stick the basic word basic into a basic spot in any basic sentence that he basically wanted to. We would leave a lecture with pages of notes and every other word was basic. By the end of the term, the word had insidiously crept into my vocabulary. It took focused effort not to use it.

What is this leading to? I knew about verbal over-used words or go-to words, but I didn't make the jump to they could also be evident in my writing. I read a blog to help in self-editing. It suggested keeping an eye out for certain over-used words.

I decided to highlight them -"just" in yellow, "that" in green, "then" in blue and "was" in pink. I knew there'd be a couple. I wasn't worried. Can I just say – OMG! I was horrified when I scrolled through my chapter.

I'm a panster. When I write I go with it. Get the words on the page. If I stop to edit I feel like my train of thought will stop, so I type away. I know my go-to words are there, but I have developed a solution. When a chapter is done, I paste my edit list at the top and then highlight all the go-to words, passive verbs, conjunctions, ly adverbs and other things I've learned to look out for. My chapter tends to look like someone threw a couple of handfuls of ice cream sprinkles on it, but I can easily see what needs to be reworked and edited out. It's not a perfect system but it helps me.

I thought I might share part of my list:
Watch out for the over use of -
!!!!! (I love exclamations points)